What is important to know when choosing a Topographic Map?

When choosing topographic maps the following aspects should be considered:

• Geographic location
• Scale
• Language
• Vintage

Map scale affects a map's level of detail. A map at smaller scale shows much less information than a map at larger scale over the same territory. However, the larger scale map will cover a much smaller geographical area.

Map scale is also closely related to map accuracy. Maps at larger scales will represent features on the surface more accurately.

Language is an important factor, especially for foreign topographic maps. For example, most maps produced by National Mapping Authorities in Africa are in English, French or Portuguese. On the other hand, geographic names in Cyrillic shown on Russian maps or in Farsi on Iranian national maps may be more of an obstacle to map data interpretation.

Vintage or actuality of information on a map also plays an important role. End users may encounter significant discrepancies between the content on a map published 40 years ago and the actual situation on the ground. However, in many cases, especially in developing countries, recent maps might not be available.